It doesn’t get a whole lot of respect, and you probably don’t think about it very much, but your BMW Oil Filter is about as important a part as there is on your car. Without it, things would grind to a halt—literally. If you’re used to working on American cars, your first encounter with a BMW oil filter might have you a little confused. Most BMW oil filters are of the cartridge style, rather than the spin-on canister style that you may be accustomed to. On a BMW, you just take off the oil filter housing cover, discard the oil filter cartridge, install a new cartridge and o-ring, and replace the housing cover.

All BMW did was exchange the metal outer shell of the canister oil filter with a permanent housing. This trick increases burst pressure and operating parameters, and allows BMW to use a little additional filter media. Plus, once you get used to changing a BMW oil filter, you’ll appreciate its simplicity and cleanliness.